Sensory Integration Stategies Presentati

Sensory Integration Strategies for the Class and Home : 

Sensory Integration Strategies for the Class and Home By: Linda Woods

Personal Experience : 

Personal Experience This presentation is based on personal experience of having a child with a diagnosis of slight cerebral palsy with developmental delays, as well as, two traumatic brain injuries in his years of growing up. I have also implemented sensory integration into my classroom as well as my home for the past twenty-three years.

Experience Continued : 

Experience Continued The purpose of this presentation is to share with you strategies that worked and some that did not work throughout the years of practice with these techniques. Resources are provided at the end of the show regarding the theory of Sensory Integration and it is my hope that you can apply some of these strategies in your own classroom as well as pass this information on to your parents.

The Focus : 

The Focus These sensory integration strategies will focus on middle school aged children and above although many strategies can begin with younger students. Please remember that all use of equipment and strategies must be taught how to use tools and techniques to children in order to provide a safe environment whether they are used in the classroom or at home.

Sensory Integration Therapy a.k.a. SIT : 

Sensory Integration Therapy a.k.a. SIT The purpose of SIT is to stimulate a child’s sense of touch and movement to improve balance and development. Through SIT a child will absorb and process sensory information in the brain. One part of the brain takes care of coordination while other parts involve planning, emotion, and judgment. There are parts that control actions of certain parts of the body which include eyes, ears, touch, smell, balance, and a place in space. The top arrow to the left controls coordination The top arrow to the right controls sensory processing. The bottom arrow controls memory of sound. Other areas include imagination, planning, emotion, judgment, anticipation, visual memory, sight, movement, and touch information.

The Brain and Central Nervous System : 

The Brain and Central Nervous System When describing the brain to students I allow them to close their eyes and picture a system of roadways in the brain. These highways are called the central nervous system. Long nerve cells form bridges across gaps that allows the brain to communicate with each body part. “Nerve cells look like tubes with branching ends. When you practice a new skill, the branching ends reach out to connect with other nerve. Once they connect, you have a new nerve highway for performing that skill” (Mucklow p.10) We can improve ability in our seven senses by SIT which will help us to improve in our ability to learn. The seven senses are sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, gravity, and muscles.

A Short Video : 

A Short Video This video is actually used in my class to show the students. For many of you, YouTube is web washed and for this problem I copy this address down and ask the district technology department to release the web wash for the day I am showing this and other videos that are part of my curriculum. This involves planning in order to protect the rest of the students from unworthy videos being found. What is a Processing Disorder? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O6Cm0WxEZA

SIT Class Lesson Continued : 

SIT Class Lesson Continued Once students have viewed the video and discussion has occurred I move on to show students how to use the exercise ball.

Directions for Use of What We Call the SIT Ball : 

Directions for Use of What We Call the SIT Ball The ball is used to increase memory skills through a gentle bouncing or rocking motion. When the ball is needed students are asked to quietly remove their chair out to the back of the room, place ball where chair is intended. Gently rock or bounce in rhythm on the ball. SIT ball “No-No’s” Students will not throw ball or bounce ball. Students will not bounce violently on the ball. Students will not lay or lean on the ball while in use for rhythm at desk. Violations will result in one period loss of use for SIT ball.

Serving Balance Needs at Home : 

Serving Balance Needs at Home This is a tool I used at home for about a year and it was effective in helping my son with balance needs at the dinner table as well as when he was doing academic tasks. This tool was eliminated because he used the tool to whack his brother in the head and in his mind he had converted it into a sword. The tool is called a “T-Stool”. You cut one piece of one-by-one wood the length of the child based on knees in bent position to measure right under the buttocks. Then you cut another piece of one-by-one wood the width of the buttocks. You screw the wood together to make a “T”. The child sits on the wide part while balancing their body weight with the narrow part of the wood on the floor. Although this tool worked it became a safety issue in my home so we converted to the SIT ball.

More Balance Activities : 

More Balance Activities Balance seating disk-These are used two ways, one for placing in the student’s seat and the other used for standing on them for balance on the floor which requires two disks. These are cheaper to buy in the workout section at Wal-Mart than at a therapy shop. One side of the disk is filled with soft rounded bumps while the other side is bigger pointed bumps. Rules Disks are to be placed in seat and used to gently rock or bounce. Disks are not to be thrown. Two disks must be used when standing on disks to perform a task and chair must be placed in back of the room. Disks are only to be used as a balance tool.

How Use of Disks Look in Classroom and Home : 

How Use of Disks Look in Classroom and Home

Weight Ball : 

Weight Ball For students who identify that they need pressure in shoulder area. An eight pound weight ball (least expensive at Wal-Mart) is used by two students or one student and adult. Rules This ball can only be used when two people are standing approximately two to three feet away from each other. Student must only throw with both hands underhand, never overhand. Students must call out other persons name and make eye contact during the throw. Ten repetitions each student is the minimum and twenty repetitions is the maximum. Violations will result in one day loss of use for weight ball and adult assistance for next two reps.

What Does This Look Like in the Classroom : 

What Does This Look Like in the Classroom

More Activities to Support Pressure : 

More Activities to Support Pressure Wall push ups –Students place palm of hand even with ears on the wall, scoot feet back about one foot with feet spread apart slightly and begin push ups. Ten to twenty repetitions allows student to relieve pressure in shoulder area. Back Against the Wall-Have student stand with his back against a wall, feet about six inches apart and arms straight out against the wall. Keeping both feet flat on the floor and head and heels back against the wall, have student bend to one side, hold a second, then return. Repeat ten times to one side, then repeat other side. Elbow Walk-Have student lay face down on floor, lower body and legs relaxed, as student supports upper body on elbows (hands held up): Walk with elbows and upper torso in an arc to the right as far as the waist will bend, then all the way around to the left, etc. Keep chin directly above the space between elbows and should not rest chin on hands (to avoid biting tongue). To start, you will need to hold hips in position to avoid pivoting on lower body and to force stretching and flexing of waist muscles (Elizabeth Davies, 1988).

Figure Ground Relationship : 

Figure Ground Relationship These activities are excellent for students who experience difficulty keeping track of their arms or legs. (Autistic students, cerebral palsy, downs syndrome, and ADHD). I use inexpensive blue painters masking tape because it does not leave the glue on the carpet or the floor. These activities are really good for kids who struggle with crossing the mid-line, which means that the right arms cannot cross over the mid-line to the left side of the body, also legs and feet. Make an oval, with tape on the floor, approximately twelve feet long and one foot wide. You can also make a double oval ring on the outside for some of the activities. These activities should be done about twenty minutes a day which is not feasible with our middle school schedule so I have a parent night to offer all of the suggestions for the children to have a routine at home for these activities.

Figure Ground Activities : 

Figure Ground Activities Child is to walk keeping the line between while hands are on hips and looking at their feet while looking at the line. Walk, crossing feet over the line (right foot steps on left side of line, then left foot steps on right side of line) Hands on hips and body must not turn. Must watch line. Children stand with toes on line, facing center of oval. Lift left knee high: slap knee with cupped right hand, then lifts right knee and slaps knee with cupped left hand. Keep alternating and cupped hand must cover the knee. Children outside oval. They are to walk around the outside of the oval, not on the line. Hands on hips, they must walk with one foot leading. (Step forward, then bring other toes up to heel of first foot) Must lift each knee high as that foot steps.

Activities Continued : 

Activities Continued Both lines between feet. Hands on hips. One jump, rest, jump, rest, etc. Only one jump at a time and length of jump should not be more than ten inches. Both lines between feet, hands on hips. Jump in, out, in, out. Steady with no resting between jumps.

Visual Processing and Memory Activities : 

Visual Processing and Memory Activities Parents can cut weekly coupons and on trips to the market give the student a coupon and ask the child to locate the item on the shelf. Very guided at first until child can connect that you can not find a jar of salsa in the fruit section (categorize skill). Child must identify item from coupon in hand to item on shelf mixed with other items. (Also good for recognition skills. Parents can read children’s literature books for bed time stories (at any age) most literature books climax at the end of chapters and child will have to wait until next night to cuddle up with mom or dad to follow along as parent reads. Dress up and act out stories at home like the book “Where the Wild Things Are”, and Huck Finn stories. Checkers are a great way to memorize, child must know the answer to a flash card before they can move their piece on the checker board.

Excellent Games and Tools for Sensory Integration : 

Excellent Games and Tools for Sensory Integration Connect Four Monopoly Go Fish (for memory) War (for drills to speed up processing and times tables) Memory Game (great for vocabulary or spelling words Matching pictures for desired items when verbal skills are needed De-stress routine for anxiety Helmet for safety Puzzles (great for matching money or number to value) Maps of daily activities when child goes on outings Car games i.e. I Spy (great for verbal skills in describing something) The abc game for signs on the road.

Games and Tools Continued : 

Games and Tools Continued Cooking Value system within the home, relate character education to child’s behavior. Hide and Seek for meanings of words (under, over, above, in, out, etc.) Trampoline Computer games like spider solitaire, memory, etc.

Sensory Motor Integration : 

Sensory Motor Integration Sensory integration is the ability to take in information and then utilize it in an efficient and helpful way. Constantly, without thinking about it, we receive information from the world around us through our senses: we sort it, put it together with other knowledge and use the resulting knowledge and interpretations to live and function in the everyday world.

Perceptual Motor Integration : 

Perceptual Motor Integration Perceptual-motor integration relates to the manner by which the individual takes in sensory stimulus, processes and interprets this information, and then responds automatically to it. It requires energy.

Development of Kinesthetic Awareness and the Figure-Ground Relationship : 

Development of Kinesthetic Awareness and the Figure-Ground Relationship This is the awareness of one muscle group contrasted to a relaxed body. When a child can selectively tense only one set of muscles, while the rest of his body muscles remain relaxed, with no overflow of tension to any other body parts, he becomes aware of that particular body part.

Visual-Motor Coordination : 

Visual-Motor Coordination Children who have not developed the visual-motor match have trouble with all pencil-paper work. They may be slow completing assignments, or they may finish quickly but their work is very sloppy. They often have trouble staying of the line. Copying from the board may be inaccurate.

Laterality : 

Laterality Laterality is the internal awareness of the difference between the two sides of the body, the coordination between right and left.

Good Automatic Balance : 

Good Automatic Balance Good balance depends upon adequately developed waist differentiation.

Signs to Identify Problem Areas : 

Signs to Identify Problem Areas Kinesthetic Awareness—these students demonstrate difficulty in moving. Examples are difficulties in riding a bike, catching a ball, tying shoes. They also show a high degree of body stress like holding a pencil very tight. Parents often note how the child is has a hard time going to sleep but once they do, they are a hard sleeper or experience fearful dreams or fears of falling. Usually the sleep deficit disorder is noted from birth. These children tend to wet their beds because they sleep very sound. They are also very accident prone so they overcompensate by becoming very cautious.

Signs to Identify Problem Areas Cont.. : 

Signs to Identify Problem Areas Cont.. Visual Figure Ground —these students experience problems with depth perception. They cannot find the hidden picture even when told where to look for them.

Signs to Identify Problem Areas Cont.. : 

Signs to Identify Problem Areas Cont.. Auditory Figure Ground—these students experience hypersensitivity to sound, they usually have a short attention span because they hear everything at once including sounds the normal person does not hear. They are constantly in motion and have a hard time following multi-step directions. They lose things easily and cannot seem to find them even when it is right in front of them. The sounds go into the brain but become jumbled when they try to process the task. These are typically your daydreaming students.

Signs to Identify Problem Areas Cont.. : 

Signs to Identify Problem Areas Cont.. Laterality—how we transfer information. Students prefer to print, they have no visual memory, they experience difficulty organizing their work, and have a great deal of difficulty writing.

Signs to Identify Problem Areas Cont.. : 

Signs to Identify Problem Areas Cont.. Visual Motor Integration—the coping skills are very difficult for these students. There balance is a very critical area. They use muscles in their back, which puts stress on proper balance using the muscles in the waste. When their balance is off, these children usually have trouble sitting in a seat. These are the children who are usually labeled Hyperactive or ADHD.

Exercises/Closing : 

Exercises/Closing In my class I teach from a handbook for the students called “Sensory Integration Tools for Teens: Strategies to Promote Sensory Processing”, by Henry OT . Each year I hold a parent night regarding the topic of Sensory Integration and recommend that parents buy a book called “The Sensory Team Handbook” ,by Nancy Mucklow. In closing, telling most children to relax or go use an exercise usually does no good. You must show them how, even hold a hand and shake the tension out of an arm, or move shoulders up and down for them. Children need to work in places that are conducive to relaxation and productivity. I hope these tools are useful in your classroom management and in your students’ learning academics. Thank you

Sources and Resources : 

Sources and Resources http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uETDXHrH1io http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtszqdr4GW4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfOov_bSwXg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O6Cm0WxEZA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgerZH6GeS4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvlwB-j5QG8 http://www.childrensdisabilities.info/sensory_integration/a-day.html Davies, E. (1988). Developmental Physical Education Continuum. Henry, Diana A., Wheeler, Tammy, Sava, Deanna I. (2004). Sensory Integration Tools for Teens: Strategies to Promote Sensory Processing. Youngtown, AZ. Henry Occupational Therapy Services, Inc. www.ateachabout.com. Mucklow, Nancy. (2009). The Sensory Team Handbook: A hands-on tool to help young people make sense of their senses and take charge of their sensory processing. Kingston, Ontario Canada. Michael Grass House.